Play yard obscurement system

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for at least partially obscuring a child&#39;s vision outside of a play yard. An obscurement system may include a flexible body to be positioned over walls of a play yard. A window may be formed in the flexible body. A window covering portion may selectively configure the window between an open position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially permitted and a closed position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially obscured. An obscurement system may include a panel to be secured to a play yard. The panel may at least partially obscure vision outside the play yard when the panel is secured to the play yard.

BACKGROUND

Play yards have been used to confine infant and toddler children, for example, during active or sleep times. Play yards may offer children the ability to lie down, stand up, or move around within a prescribed area and may offer parents and other caregivers the security of knowing where their children are located.

An aspect of the security of play yards is the ability to monitor children while they are active or sleeping. This may be achieved, for example, through the use of walls that are at least partially transparent. For example, mesh materials may be used to form play yard walls. Mesh materials may facilitate viewing of children within the play yard. In addition, mesh materials may facilitate collapsing the play yard for storage or transportation.

Mesh materials may also facilitate viewing of the outside environment by children within the play yard. While such visual stimulation may be desirable during active times, it may be counterproductive when parents or caregivers are attempting to put children to sleep. For example, children may be more interested in receiving visual stimuli than in falling asleep. This issue may be exacerbated in new environments, for example, hotel rooms or relatives' homes.

SUMMARY

Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for at least partially obscuring a child's vision outside of a play yard. An obscurement system may include a flexible body to be positioned over walls of a play yard. A window may be formed in the flexible body. A window covering portion may selectively configure the window between an open position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially permitted and a closed position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially obscured.

An obscurement system may include a panel to be secured to a play yard. The panel may at least partially obscure vision outside the play yard when the panel is secured to the play yard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of an example play yard with an obscurement system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of an example play yard obscurement system in a closed configuration.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of the example play yard obscurement system of FIG. 2 in an open configuration.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of another example play yard obscurement system in a closed configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view of the example play yard obscurement system of FIG. 4 in an open configuration.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of another example play yard obscurement system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a plan view of a panel forming a portion of the play yard obscurement system of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of illustrative embodiments will now be described with reference to the various Figures. Although this description provides a detailed example of possible implementations, it should be noted that the details are intended to be exemplary and in no way limit the scope of the application.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of an example play yard 100 with an obscurement system 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the obscurement system 102 may be fitted over walls 104, 106, 108, 110 of the play yard 100. The obscurement system 102 may include a flexible body formed from an opaque or translucent flexible material, such as fabric. The obscurement system 102 may be draped over or otherwise positioned over the walls 104, 106, 108, 110 of the play yard 100, e.g., loosely, and may be tightened, for example, using drawstrings (not shown) to fit snugly over the play yard 100. Alternatively or in addition, the obscurement system 100 may include elastic portions (not shown) to promote a snug fit over the play yard 100. The obscurement system 102 may include a top cover portion (not shown) that may fit over a top portion 112 of the play yard 100 to provide further obscurement of a child's view. The top cover portion may be removable, for example, to promote viewing of the child by a caretaker or when the child is able to stand. For example, the top cover portion may be attached to the obscurement system 102 by a zipper, buttons or snaps, a hook-and-loop fastening system, magnets, or the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of an example play yard obscurement system 200 in a closed configuration in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially obscured. One or more sides of the obscurement system 200 may include a window 202 formed in the body of the obscurement system 200. The window 202 may be formed from a different material from a side panel 204, e.g., a mesh material or transparent vinyl, or may be implemented as empty space. A window covering portion 205 may be formed from the same material as the side panel 204 or may be formed from a different material; for example, the window covering portion 205 may be formed from a translucent or opaque material.

As shown in FIG. 2, the window 202 may be configured in a closed position using a closure system 206 that may selectively at least partially attach or at least partially detach the window covering portion 205 from the flexible body of the obscurement system 200. The closure system 206 may be implemented, for example, using a zipper. The closure system 206 may be implemented by other instrumentalities, such as, for example, buttons or snaps, a hook-and-loop fastening system, magnets, or the like. FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of the example play yard obscurement system 200 in an open configuration in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially permitted. For instance, as shown in FIG. 3, the closure system 206 may be implemented as a zipper that may be unzipped to partially detach the window covering portion 205 and reveal the window 202.

It will be appreciated that the obscurement system 200 may have multiple windows 202, for example, located proximate to multiple walls of the play yard 100. One or more such windows 202, e.g., all of the windows 202, may be obscured as disclosed herein by one or more window covering portions 205 proximate the windows 202.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of an example play yard obscurement system 400 in a closed configuration. The play yard obscurement system 400 may include a number of panels 402, 404, 406, 408. The panels 402, 404, 406, 408 may be formed from a translucent or opaque material, such as fabric, plastic, or mesh material. One or more of the panels 402, 404, 406, 408, e.g., the panel 402, may include a window 410 that may be closed, as shown in FIG. 4, or open, as shown in FIG. 5.

When open, the window 410 may be empty or may be covered, for example, by a mesh material. The mesh material may partially obscure the view of a child in the play yard, even when the window is open. The window 410 may be closed using buttons 412 and corresponding buttonholes 414 formed in the window 410 or in the panel 402.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of an example play yard obscurement system 600 that may obscure a child's view out of a play yard 602. The play yard 602 may have fixation structures 604 located proximate, e.g., surrounding a window 606. The window 606 may be formed from a material that allows a child to see out of the window 606, e.g., a mesh material.

The fixation structures 604 may be implemented, for example, as buttons or protrusions formed integrally with the body of the play yard 602. The fixation structures 604 may be implemented, for example, as buttons or protrusions secured, e.g., fastened or attached, to the body of the play yard 602 after manufacture. The fixation structures 604 may be implemented, for example, as magnets attached to or sewn into material surrounding the window 606.

A panel 700, shown by way of example in FIG. 7, may be secured, e.g., fastened or attached, to the play yard 602 to obscure a child's view out of the window 606. For example, if the fixation structures 604 are implemented as buttons or protrusions, the panel 700 may have corresponding structures 702, such as buttonholes or loops, formed in the material of the panel 700 or attached to the panel 700 to secure the panel 700 to the play yard 602. As another example, if the fixation structure 604 are implemented as magnets, the corresponding structures 702 may also be implemented as magnets.

With the panel 700 secured to the play yard 602, the window 606 may be obscured. Accordingly, the view of a child through the window 606 may be obscured, reducing the visual stimuli that may be presented to the child while the child is being put to sleep.

It will be appreciated that if the play yard 602 has multiple windows 606, for example, on multiple walls of the play yard 602, the play yard obscurement system 600 may incorporate multiple panels 700 to obscure the windows 606.

While numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments have been set forth in this disclosure, together with the structure and function of various embodiments, this disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, for example, in matters of structure and arrangement of parts within the principles described herein to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed:
 1. An obscurement system comprising: a flexible body to be positioned over walls of a play yard; a window formed in the flexible body; and a window covering portion to selectively configure the window between an open position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially permitted and a closed position in which vision outside the play yard is at least partially obscured.
 2. The obscurement system of claim 1, the flexible body being formed from a translucent or opaque material.
 3. The obscurement system of claim 1, the window comprising at least one of a mesh material or a transparent vinyl material.
 4. The obscurement system of claim 1, the window covering portion comprising a translucent or opaque material.
 5. The obscurement system of claim 1, further comprising a closure system to selectively at least partially attach or at least partially detach the window covering portion from the flexible body.
 6. The obscurement system of claim 5, the closure system comprising at least one of a button, a snap, a zipper, a hook-and-loop fastening system, or a magnet.
 7. The obscurement system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of windows formed in the flexible body; and a plurality of window covering portions, each window covering portion proximate a corresponding window.
 8. An obscurement system comprising a panel to be secured to a play yard, the panel at least partially obscuring vision outside the play yard when the panel is secured to the play yard.
 9. The obscurement system of claim 8, the panel comprising a fixation structure to be secured to a corresponding structure of the play yard.
 10. The obscurement system of claim 9, the fixation structure comprising at least one of a button, a protrusion, or a magnet.
 11. The obscurement system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of panels to be secured proximate a plurality of windows of the play yard, the panels at least partially obscuring vision outside the play yard when the panels is secured to the windows. 